Portable guard fence



' Dec. 11, 1928. 1,694,753

J. PEPPIN PORTABLE GUARD FENCE Filed Nov. 11 1927 JOSL'P/f PEPP/ N.

Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

uNrrsn srarss JOSEPH PEPPER, OF :SGIOTA, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE GUARD FENCE.

Application filed November 11, 1927. Serial No. 232,565

My invention relates to a device intended for use as a defence againstattacks by cavalry or infantry and may be used on open ground as well asin front of trenches.

In the recent great war, barbed wire fences and entanglements were usedvery extensively to guard against surprise attack. This was doubtlessquite effective but very expensive, on account of it being a permanentfixture which could. not be removed when the troops changed positions.It also took a considerable time tolay the entanglements or set up thefences.

With the present device, on the other hand,

it is only a matter of a few seconds to position the bayonet guard, andwith each man carrying one of them, a single or double defence line willimmediately be provided in front of the troops, which then may retireinto the trenches.

In hand to hand fights the bayonet may be detached from its stafi andused as a hand sword or as a lance or spear if kept in place on thestaff.

It will be evident that the device may as easily be taken down as set upand carried along when the troops change their position.

In the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the device isillustrated, and Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device set up indefence position; Figure 2 is top plan View of Figure 1 in smallerscale; Figure 3 is a plan view in partial section and larger scale; andFigure 4: a cross section on line 44 of Fig. 3.

The device consists of four main parts, namely a shaft or stafi 10), asword-bayonet (11), stakes or legs (12 and flexible connections (13)such as chains or wire ropes.

The staif (10) which is about five feet long, if made in one piece, orlonger if made in sections, has a sharp or pointed end, preferablyreinforced by a ferrule (14:). It may be made of strong, light Wood orof bamboo. Its forward end fits snugly and permanently in a metal socket(15), which has a bored lug (18) on each side slightly inclined in atransverse plane, so that the stakes or legs (12), which are detachablyheld in the lugs, are spread apart at their lower ends. These stakesalso have pointed ends and may be provided with ferrules (16) or otherreinforcements.

The socket (15) has a forward extension in which the handle portion (17)of the bayonet (l1) fits, so as to be easily removed and suit ablesecuring means (19) such as cotter pin or the like, is provided toretain the bayonet in place. The bayonet has preferably a thin broadblade (20), but any other suitable shape may be used. Between the bladeand the handle (17) a collar or hand guard (21) is provided which alsoserves as a stop against the socket (15). On each side of the socket isto befound an ear (22) intended to receive the hook (23) on the end ofthe chain or wir rope (18). One such flexible member is carried witheach staff and during the march the bayonet may be carried in aScabbard, like side-arms, while the stakes or le s are strapped to thestaff and carried on the soldiers back using the wirerope as a sling Theuse of this defence weapon is indicated in Figures 1 and 2. With thebayonet (11) secured in its socket (15) at the front end of the staff(10) and the stakes (12) in position in their lugs (18), the lower,sharp end or ferrule (14) of the staff (10) is driven securely into theground at an inclination of about thirty degrees and so that the raisedend with the bayonet (11) faces in the direction of the enemy with thepoint about three feet above the ground. The stakes (12) are also drivenin the ground, thus forming a tripod with the staff (10) and finally thewire-ropes (13) are hooked into the ears of two adjacent tripods. Inthis manner a continuous fence is formed in front of the troops, whichmay be squatting on the ground or concealed in trenches, some distanceback of the bayonet guard or defence line, in readiness to receive anattacking force which will be halted by this guard fence in the samemanner as by barbed wire entanglements.

It will be evident that the bayonet guards may be set up close togetheror further apart as desired and that more than one line may be formed,one behind the other. One of the main objects of my invention is toprovide a sure means of retarding the attacking movement of an enemy,such means being as easily removed and transported as set up in defenceline.

With the chains or wires unhooked and the legs detached, the weapon maybe used as a lance or spear in close fighting, when the staffconstitutes the handle and the bayonet the spear head. When detachedfrom the staff,

the bayonet may be used as a sword, as its handle is of a size and shapethat fits a mans hand.

It is to be understood that my invention, as here disclosed, is notlimited to the details of construction shown and described, and thatthese may be varied widely, without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. A weapon of defence, comprising a staff, a socket provided at one endof the staff, a bayonet having a handle and a hand guard, the handlebeing adapted to fit detachably in the socket, thehand guard forming astop, means for securing the handle in the socket, bored lugs on thestall, and legs detachably mounted in the bores of said lugs in such amanner that a tripod is formed of the staff and legs.

2. A weapon of defence, comprising a staff, a socket provided at one endof the stati, a bayonet having a handle and a hand guard, the handlebeing adapted to lit dctachably in the socket, the hand guard formin astop, means for securing the handle in the socket, bored lugs on thestaff, and legs detachably mounted in the bores of said lugs in such amanner that a tripod is formed of the staff and legs, an ear adjacenteach of said lugs and flexible members adapted to be attached to saidears.

A portable guard, comprising a plurality of bayonet tripods as describedin claim 2, set up on the ground in spaced relation to facesubstantially in the same direction.

a. A portable guard, comprising a plurality of bayonet tripods asdescribed in claim 2, set up on the ground in spaced relation to facesubstantially in the same direction, said tripods being interconnectedby the flexible members.

5. A portable guard, comprising a plurality of bayonet tripods asdescribed in claim 2, set up on the ground in spaced relation to facesubstantially in the same direction, the flexible member on one of Saidtripods con necting with an car on an adjacent tripod, thereby forming acontinuous fence.

6. A portable guard, comprising a plurality of bayonet tripods asdescribed in claim :2, set up on the ground in spaced relation to facesubstantially in the same direction, the flexible members having theirends secured to adjacent tripods, thereby forming a continuous fence.

T. A weapon of defence, comprising a staff, a bayonet having a handleand a hand guard, the handle being adapted to fit detacliably in thestaff, while the hand guard forms a stop, means for securing the handlein the staff, bored lugs on the staff, legs detachably mounted in thebores of said lugs in such a manner that a tripod is formed of the staffand legs, and a flexible member adapted to have its ends secured to thetripod.

8. A portable guard, comprising a plurality of bayonet tripods asdescribed in claim 1, set up on the ground in spaced relation to facesubstantially in the same direction, and flexible means adapted to besecured with the ends to adjacent tripods respectively, in order tosupport the tripods and form a continuous fence therewith.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

his JOSEPH (x) PEPPIN.

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